Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Plaid

Plaid

,
Noun.
[Gael.
plaide
a blanket or plaid, contr. fr.
peallaid
a sheepskin, fr.
peall
a skin or hide. CF.
Pillion
.]
1.
A rectangular garment or piece of cloth, usually made of the checkered material called tartan, but sometimes of plain gray, or gray with black stripes. It is worn by both sexes in Scotland.
2.
Goods of any quality or material of the pattern of a plaid or tartan; a checkered cloth or pattern.

Plaid

,
Adj.
Having a pattern or colors which resemble a Scotch plaid; checkered or marked with bars or stripes at right angles to one another;
as,
plaid
muslin
.

Definition 2024


plaid

plaid

English

Pronunciation

  • (Scotland) IPA(key): /pled/, /plad/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /plæd/
  • (US) IPA(key): /plæd/
  • Rhymes: -æd

Noun

plaid (countable and uncountable, plural plaids)

  1. (textiles) A type of twilled woollen cloth, often with a tartan or chequered pattern. [from 16thc.]
    • 1906, Stanley J[ohn] Weyman, chapter I, in Chippinge Borough, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., OCLC 580270828:
      It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street. He wore shepherd's plaid trousers and the swallow-tail coat of the day, with a figured muslin cravat wound about his wide-spread collar.
  2. A length of such material used as a piece of clothing, formerly worn in the Scottish Highlands and other parts of northern Britain and remaining as an item of ceremonial dress worn by members of Scottish pipe bands. [from 16thc.]
    • 2009, John Sadler, Glencoe, Amberley 2009, p.47:
      In battle, the plaid was customarily shrugged off before the charge bit home, and the warrior came into contact with only his long, saffron shirt (‘leine chrochach’) to preserve modesty.
  3. The typical chequered pattern of a plaid; tartan. [from 19thc.]
Translations

Adjective

plaid (comparative more plaid, superlative most plaid)

  1. Having a pattern or colors which resemble a Scottish tartan; checkered or marked with bars or stripes at right angles to one another.

Etymology 2

Alternative forms.

Verb

plaid

  1. (archaic) simple past tense and past participle of play
    • 1774, Dr Samuel Johnson, Preface to the Works of the English Poets, J. Nichols, Volume II, Page 134,
      "...then plaid on the organ, and sung..."

References

  1. Dictionary of the Scots Language

Italian

Etymology

Borrowing from English plaid.

Noun

plaid m (invariable)

  1. tartan rug (especially one used when travelling)

Middle English

Etymology

From Old French plait, plet.

Noun

plaid

  1. Alternative spelling of plait

Old French

Noun

plaid m (oblique plural plaiz or plaitz, nominative singular plaiz or plaitz, nominative plural plaid)

  1. Alternative form of plait

Romansch

Alternative forms

  • (Rumantsch Grischun, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Puter, Vallader) pled

Noun

plaid m (plural plaids)

  1. (Sursilvan) word

Related terms


Scots

Etymology

Origin uncertain; perhaps from a past participle form of ply.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pled/

Noun

plaid (plural plaids)

  1. plaid

Welsh

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /plai̯d/

Noun

plaid f (plural pleidiau)

  1. (politics) (political) party

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
plaid blaid mhlaid phlaid
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.